Chapter Summaries

Plot points

• Chen Yan begs Chen Yong to protect him from arrest for helping Fan Wei. Chen Yong eventually forgives him, warning him not to do wrong again; Chen Hao accepts the decision despite his anger over Chen Yan’s earlier threat to his parents.
• Police arrest Fan Wei, Brother Dog, and the other gangsters. Li Hua intends to have Chen Yan give a statement and complete the required procedures, but gives him leniency out of consideration for Chen Hao and Chen Yong.
• With Fan Wei gone, Li Hua proposes choosing a new village Party secretary. He subtly gives Chen Yong the chance to recommend someone as a favor to the family.
• Chen Yong initially nominates himself. Chen Hao privately redirects him, pointing out that his parents may soon move to Zhonghai and suggesting the well-liked, better-educated Chen Kuang instead.
• Chen Kuang is reluctant, but the villagers support him. Li Hua formally appoints him, promises the city will supervise his conduct, and receives enthusiastic praise from the crowd.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Yong shows both softness and concern for prestige: he pardons Chen Yan, then eagerly seizes the chance to choose the new secretary before accepting Chen Hao’s advice.
• Chen Hao balances family loyalty with caution. He permits mercy for his uncle but guides his father toward a more suitable candidate.
• Chen Yan is frightened into remorse and promises to reform, though he still faces police formalities.
• Chen Kuang moves unexpectedly from modest reluctance to acceptance as the village’s new leader; his wife and son celebrate.
• Li Hua demonstrates political skill. He rewards Chen Yong while indirectly cultivating Chen Hao’s goodwill, stages a broadly supported appointment, and reassures villagers that Chen Kuang will be held accountable.

Significant themes

• Mercy and accountability: Chen Yan is forgiven, but wrongdoing still carries consequences and formal procedures.
• Leadership and public trust: The villagers value a secretary who serves them rather than exploits them, and Chen Kuang’s reputation earns their support.
• Political maneuvering: Li Hua carefully balances favors, public approval, and oversight.
• Family influence and responsibility: Chen Hao’s judgment shapes both his father’s choice and the village’s leadership transition.

Plot points and events

• After Chen Yan loses his powerful patron, Fan Wei, he tries to repair his relationship with Chen Yong by inviting him and the officials to the wedding banquet. Chen Yong agrees after his nephew Chen Gang and Li Xia plead with him.
• The bride’s parents angrily confront Chen Yan and Chen Gang for leaving them waiting. Chen Hao refuses to intervene, believing he has already done enough for Chen Yan.
• At a quieter table, Li Hua introduces Chen Hao to several business leaders. The guests toast him, and Liu Yan impresses them while discussing Dragon Sea International’s possible plans in Dongchuan.
• Chen Hao receives a new mission from Horse Face: capture a Yin Spirit within about 24 hours, or lose ten years of lifespan. He leaves the banquet and travels alone into the mountains.
• In a hidden cavern, Chen Hao finds evidence of past habitation and a human-shaped figure embedded in the rock. The figure breaks free and attacks, revealing itself as a Stone Statue Ghoul.
• Chen Hao lures it outside and strikes it with his Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist, but it is unharmed. His Golden Cudgel is also caught effortlessly, and the ghoul’s punch sends him flying, cracking his Qi Armor and leaving him bleeding.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Yan makes a pragmatic attempt to regain Chen Yong’s favor, but Chen Hao’s refusal to help shows his distrust and firm limits on further assistance.
• Chen Yong remains angry but relents when Chen Gang and Li Xia appeal to him.
• Chen Hao stays detached from the family dispute, then shifts from confidence to alarm when the ghoul withstands attacks that should be devastating.
• Liu Yan demonstrates her professional skill and wins the business leaders’ attention.
• Chen Hao and the Stone Statue Ghoul face off in a rapidly escalating fight; the ghoul’s strength and durability overwhelm Chen Hao’s expectations.

Significant themes

• Consequences and boundaries: Chen Hao refuses to keep rescuing Chen Yan from the consequences of his behavior.
• Status and influence: The wedding gathering highlights how relationships with officials and business leaders shape social and commercial standing.
• The supernatural and the unknown: The mission leads Chen Hao into an ancient, ominous cavern and introduces an enemy whose power defies his understanding.
• Overconfidence and vulnerability: Chen Hao’s strong techniques prove ineffective, leaving him seriously injured and facing a threat he cannot easily overcome.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao fights a stone statue that withstands his martial arts, Golden Cudgel, and Dragon Claw Immortal Artifact, overpowering him at first.
• He turns the battle by coating the cudgel and his claw with Samadhi True Fire. The flames hurt the statue but cannot destroy its body; its hidden soul escapes, only to be caught by Chen Hao’s Soul-Locking Chain.
• The captured soul is an ancient Ming-dynasty official who died while seeking the statue. He reveals it is called a Stone Statue Ghoul, said to guard the passage between the mortal world and the Netherworld.
• Following the official’s directions, Chen Hao retrieves ancient texts from a chest beneath the limestone cavern. They describe the ghoul as being made of underworld fire rock, able to consume souls, and powered by essence blood.
• The texts also provide Chen Hao with a possible clue to the still-unknown Mortal Realm sacred fire, a component he needs for the Golden Cudgel’s ultimate upgrade.
• The official explains that the ghoul can be activated by soul power or essence blood, but requires enormous energy; a stronger supply may unlock its Ultimate Form. Chen Hao refuses to release him, intending to send him to the Underworld for reincarnation.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Hao’s initial confidence is shaken by the ghoul’s strength, reinforcing his awareness that he is not invincible. He adapts by exploiting the statue’s vulnerability to fire.
• Once captured, the official shifts from proud threats—claiming his rank and threatening Chen Hao’s household—to desperate obedience when Chen Hao moves to attack him. Their exchange is comic, but Chen Hao remains firmly in control and uses the Soul-Locking Chain to pressure him for information.
• Chen Hao’s curiosity about the statue’s origins drives the questioning and the search through the old books. Though the official provides useful knowledge, neither he nor the texts can explain who created the ghoul.

Significant themes

• Power has limits: Chen Hao’s impressive arsenal initially fails, and the battle forces him to adapt.
• Knowledge and discovery: Ancient records turn a strange enemy into a source of clues about the sacred fire Chen Hao seeks.
• Death and the afterlife: The ghoul’s role as a guardian between worlds, its ability to consume souls, and the official’s fate all foreground the boundary between life and the Netherworld.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao tricks a centuries-old wandering ghost into going with Horse Face to the Underworld by claiming he can secure lenient treatment from Emperor Fengdu. Horse Face exposes the lie, and the ghost curses Chen Hao as he is dragged away.
• Chen Hao feeds a drop of dragon blood to the Stone Statue Ghoul. It transforms, sprouting three pairs of wings and demonstrating extraordinary strength by stopping Chen Hao’s powerful staff attack with one hand.
• The transformation lasts only a few seconds: the Ghoul quickly loses its wings and falls, revealing how rapidly it consumes energy. Chen Hao stores it in his Qiankun Bag and seeks more dragon blood.
• Nezha has none available and jokes that he could kill another dragon for it. Chen Hao rejects that idea and instead contacts the Four Seas Dragon Kings.
• The Eastern Sea Dragon King refuses angrily, the Western Sea Dragon King does not respond, and the Southern Sea Dragon King is away. The Northern Sea Dragon King readily sends Chen Hao a bucket of fresh dragon blood.
• In return, Chen Hao gives the Northern Sea Dragon King an iPhone. Both are pleased with the exchange.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains crafty and opportunistic, bluffing the ghost and testing the Stone Statue Ghoul’s abilities. He is impressed by its power but recognizes its costly limitation.
• Horse Face playfully teases Chen Hao about his Soul Reaper title and jokes about transferring him to another Underworld job.
• Nezha is impatient with Chen Hao’s repeated messages but still helps by sending the Dragon Kings’ contact details.
• The Dragon Kings show sharply contrasting manners: the Eastern Sea King is hostile, the Western Sea King unresponsive, the Southern Sea King unavailable, and the Northern Sea King unusually generous. Chen Hao responds by adjusting his approach and rewarding the Northern Sea King’s helpfulness.

Significant themes

• Power and its price: Dragon blood unlocks immense strength, but the Ghoul’s transformation rapidly drains its fuel.
• Cunning and exchange: Chen Hao relies on bluffing, networking, and trading—turning an iPhone into goodwill with the Northern Sea King.
• Comedic social dynamics: Exaggerated boasts, petty frustrations, and the Dragon Kings’ differing reactions keep the supernatural dealings lighthearted.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao and Liu Yan spend the New Year in Chen Family Village, where Chen Yong’s family is overwhelmed by visitors praising them after the incident with Li Hua.
• Qin Yumo calls Chen Hao in tears: her grandfather, Elder Qin, was killed while protecting Chu Jinliang during a failed operation against Rakshasa.
• Chu Mengling confirms that Chu Jinliang was also badly injured. Chen Hao learns that both elders had kept him out of the conflict because they wanted him to live an ordinary life.
• Feeling guilty and alarmed by Rakshasa’s growing threat, Chen Hao sends Liu Yan and his parents to Zhonghai City for safety, arranging protection for them, then travels to Capital City.
• Qiao Shan explains that the Alliance’s investigation uncovered Rakshasa’s extensive network, its thousands of Qi Refiners, and its cooperation with Ancient Dragon. When the Alliance tried to disrupt Rakshasa’s New Year operation, its teams were ambushed; the National Congress contingent was nearly wiped out.
• Chu Jinliang suffers cardiac arrest in the hospital. Chen Hao arrives, takes charge despite the doctors’ protests, and begins treating him with golden needles.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shifts from avoiding the Qi Refiners’ conflict to accepting that he must act to protect those close to him. His guilt over Elder Qin’s death and Chu Jinliang’s sacrifice strengthens his resolve.
• Qin Yumo’s distress reveals how deeply she valued her grandfather and how serious the situation has become.
• Chu Mengling, overcome with fear for her grandfather, turns to Chen Hao for help; he comforts her and promises to save Chu Jinliang.
• Qiao Shan is devastated by the ambush and blames himself for failing to protect Chu Jinliang. His anger at the ICU staff reflects his helplessness and grief.
• Liu Yan supports Chen Hao without demanding details and agrees to care for his parents while he handles the crisis.

Significant themes

• Duty versus retreat: Chen Hao’s effort to avoid the conflict can no longer shield him or his family from its consequences.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Elder Qin died protecting Chu Jinliang, while both elders had tried to spare Chen Hao from danger.
• Family and protection: Chen Hao prioritizes his parents’ safety before entering the crisis himself.
• Grief, guilt, and resolve: The losses and injuries spur Chen Hao and Qiao Shan to confront their helplessness in different ways, while Chen Hao turns grief into decisive action.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao’s desperate acupuncture cannot restart Chu Jinliang’s heart. Chu’s soul leaves his body, and Chen Hao realizes he has arrived too late.
• Chu Jinliang asks Chen Hao to care for Chu Mengling. Chen Hao refuses—not out of indifference, but because he intends to bring Chu Jinliang back himself.
• Horse Face arrives to collect Chu’s soul. Chen Hao stops him and learns that a Soul Reaper can use the Underworld’s Corpse Resurrection once a year, at the cost of ten years of yang lifespan.
• Despite Chu Jinliang’s protests, Chen Hao accepts the cost. Horse Face records the agreement, and Chu’s soul returns to his body. Chu wakes alive.
• After the group returns to the Siheyuan Courtyard, Chen Hao reunites with Qin Yumo, who has been waiting for him. She breaks down in his arms, and he quietly comforts her.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows unwavering loyalty and courage, willingly sacrificing ten years of his life to save Chu. His reunion with Qin Yumo reveals a gentler, uncertain tenderness beneath his resolve.
• Chu Jinliang accepts death as fate but is deeply moved by Chen Hao’s sacrifice. Once revived, his first concern is Chen Hao’s well-being.
• Chu Mengling and Qiao Shan wait anxiously outside the room, then rejoice at Chu’s return. Chu Jinliang gently gives Chen and Qin space to be alone.
• Horse Face makes an exception for Chen Hao, though doing so will bring him punishment, and carries out the resurrection.
• Qin Yumo, burdened by grief after losing her father and believing her grandfather was gone too, finds comfort in Chen Hao’s embrace.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and devotion: Chen Hao gives up a decade of lifespan for someone he loves and respects.
• Grief, hope, and second chances: A seemingly final death is reversed, allowing Chu to return and begin again.
• Emotional shelter and connection: The chapter closes on quiet comfort, showing how people rely on one another through profound loss.

Key plot points

• After losing ten years of his yang lifespan, Chen Hao is still troubled by the cost. The Jade Emperor contacts him to ask for an Apple phone, and Chen Hao agrees to provide one in exchange for help reconciling with Supreme Lord Lao, who had removed him from the Heavenly Court group.
• Chu Mengling barges into Chen Hao’s room while he is undressed, causing an awkward confrontation that leaves her embarrassed and Chen Hao annoyed.
• At breakfast, Chu Jinliang explains his plan to break up the alliance between Rakshasa and Ancient Dragon, then weaken Rakshasa’s forces. Chen Hao volunteers to infiltrate the enemy side; Qin Yumo wants to join him but agrees to stay behind when he insists.
• Chu Jinliang says the mission must begin immediately because the enemy may accelerate its plans. He promises to protect Chen Hao’s family and associates while Chen is away.
• Qin Yumo explains that her grandfather joined the earlier operation to avenge the Qin Family’s losses at the hands of Cloud Valley Adept. She asks Chen Hao to leave Cloud Valley Adept alive so she can take revenge herself; Chen Hao agrees.
• Qin Yumo drives Chen Hao to the airport. He asks Qiao Shan to bring his Husky to Kunlun Airport and learns Qin Kai has returned to lead the Qin Family, with Liu Yan advising them.
• At the airport, Qin Yumo nearly confesses her feelings, but settles for wishing Chen Hao a safe trip. After he leaves, she admits privately that she likes him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shifts from grieving his lost lifespan to taking responsibility for the dangerous mission. He negotiates boldly with the Jade Emperor, then reassures Qin Yumo while accepting her request about Cloud Valley Adept.
• Qin Yumo shows both determination to avenge her grandfather and growing affection for Chen Hao. Her protectiveness and desire to accompany him clash with his insistence that she remain safe.
• Chu Jinliang entrusts Chen Hao with a high-stakes mission and arranges protection for his loved ones, showing confidence in him.
• Chu Mengling and Chen Hao have a comic, tense exchange after she accidentally sees him undressed.
• The Jade Emperor and Chen Hao begin a transactional alliance: Chen Hao supplies a phone, and the Jade Emperor offers to help restore Chen Hao’s standing with Supreme Lord Lao.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and urgency: Chen Hao’s lost lifespan and immediate departure underscore the personal costs of the conflict.
• Revenge and grief: Qin Yumo’s family history fuels her desire to confront Cloud Valley Adept herself.
• Trust and protection: Chen Hao takes the mission alone while Chu Jinliang secures his family and Qin Yumo reluctantly respects his decision.
• Unspoken affection: Qin Yumo’s farewell reveals feelings she cannot yet express directly.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao negotiates with the Jade Emperor for a replacement Apple phone, using the Jade Emperor’s lost phone as leverage. After several misunderstandings, the Jade Emperor offers him early access to the Heavenly Stele in seven days.
• The Heavenly Stele lets users trade Daoist Merit Points for lifespan and cultivation. Chen Hao agrees, then realizes he must quickly gather merit points to make the opportunity worthwhile.
• At the airport, Chen Hao senses several Qi Refiners and suspects they may be connected to Rakshasa. He follows them in a taxi driven by Hao Chen, an unlucky acquaintance he has repeatedly run into.
• While following the group, Chen Hao calls Qiao Shan and tells him to let CC find him by scent. CC wakes and responds by barking, but Qiao Shan leaves him behind. CC is furious at being abandoned.
• The taxi follows the minivan into a private residence. Chen Hao argues with Hao Chen over what “follow them” meant, just as several hostile men approach the car and knock on its window.

Character developments

• Chen Hao is resourceful and opportunistic, bargaining for access to the Heavenly Stele and quickly pursuing a possible lead on Rakshasa. His impatience and bluntness create confusion with both the Jade Emperor and his companions.
• The Jade Emperor is easily distracted and slow to grasp Chen Hao’s hints, but ultimately offers a valuable favor: early entry to the Heavenly Stele.
• Hao Chen reappears as Chen Hao’s reluctant taxi driver. He is exasperated by their repeated encounters but follows Chen Hao’s instructions—perhaps too literally.
• CC displays intelligence and a comic, expressive personality, but is left stranded after Qiao Shan abandons him.
• Qiao Shan follows Chen Hao’s request but is embarrassed by the spectacle of holding a phone to a dog and eager to leave.

Significant themes

• Bargaining and reciprocity: Chen Hao frames his request around mutual aid, though he must spell out that he expects something in return.
• Comedy through miscommunication: The Jade Emperor misunderstands Chen Hao’s hints, while Hao Chen takes “follow” literally.
• Loyalty and abandonment: CC is expected to find Chen Hao on his own, then is left behind by Qiao Shan.
• Opportunity amid danger: Chen Hao pursues a chance to gain merit and cultivation while investigating a potentially dangerous group.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao and the Jade Emperor banter over the stolen phone before striking a deal for early access to the Heavenly Stele.
• Chen Hao clashes comically with Hao Chen over the taxi’s route, but their pursuit ends with them facing apparent danger together.
• Chen Hao gives Qiao Shan instructions to put CC on the phone; CC responds, but Chen Hao hangs up before CC can get his scent.
• Qiao Shan and CC have a brief, tense exchange when Qiao Shan tries to leave and CC clings to his trouser leg.

Key plot points and events

• A hostile crowd surrounds Hao Chen’s car and attacks it. Hao Chen panics, reverses into people, then tries to ram through the gates.
• A powerful man lands on the hood, wrecking the car and knocking Hao Chen unconscious. His men pull Hao Chen out, but Chen Hao easily throws off the guards who try to seize him.
• Chen Hao defeats the gathered fighters, including the man who attacked the car. The man’s three-layer kicking technique breaks against Chen Hao’s strike and Qi Armor, after which Chen Hao blasts him away.
• The group’s leader arrives with five subordinates. Though the leader is near the fourth realm and offers Chen Hao a place in his organization, Chen Hao refuses and arrogantly demands that they serve him instead.
• Four third-realm fighters attack. Chen Hao summons his Six-Winged Stone Statue Ghoul, which overwhelms the leader, breaks his Qi Armor, and withstands the group’s combined attacks.
• The leader traps the Ghoul with a third-grade Spirit Artifact, the Blue-Light Lock, and orders everyone to attack. Their blows have no effect because the Ghoul has run out of power.
• Chen Hao explains the problem and feeds the Ghoul dragon blood. Its red eyes flare again as the leader orders his men to kill Chen Hao.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains confident and contemptuous, dismissing his opponents and relying on the Ghoul rather than fighting the stronger group himself. His calm contrasts with the surrounding fighters’ fear and confusion.
• Hao Chen is frightened by the mob and acts rashly while trying to escape; he is knocked unconscious before he can leave.
• The leader begins by recognizing Chen Hao’s skill and offering recruitment, but turns hostile when rejected. His confidence in his artifact and Qi Armor gives way to shock as the Ghoul defeats both.
• The Stone Statue Ghoul is revealed as extraordinarily durable and powerful, but dependent on dragon blood to replenish its energy. Chen Hao’s casual feeding of it leaves the enemy momentarily bewildered.

Significant themes

• Power and arrogance: Chen Hao’s overwhelming confidence provokes his opponents, while the leader’s belief in his own strength and defenses proves misplaced.
• Appearances versus reality: The enemy mistakes the Ghoul’s restraint for vulnerability, and its stone-like body withstands attacks that should be formidable.
• Strength has limits: Even a powerful supernatural companion can run out of energy, making preparation and replenishment essential.

Plot points

• After the Stone Statue Ghoul breaks free of its restraints, Wang Jian and his men surrender to Chen Hao. Wang explains they came to join the Rakshasa Organization, whose recruitment offer includes a 100-million-yuan bonus. He also reveals that entry to the initiation ceremony requires a sponsor, and he has secured a place through an inside connection.
• Chen Hao agrees to take them along, then tricks them into swallowing “Seven-Day Intestine-Breaking Pills”—actually chocolates—to keep them obedient. He also demands five million yuan for his injured friend, the damaged taxi, and emotional distress.
• Once Chen Hao goes inside to rest, Wang and his men privately plot to get revenge after they believe the poison has been removed. Chen Hao anticipates their scheming but lets them think they have a chance.
• Remembering that the Heavenly Stele opens in seven days, Chen Hao realizes he must earn Daoist Merit Points. He is delighted to be readmitted to the Heavenly Court Chat Group, though the Immortals largely ignore his announcement.
• Supreme Lord Lao warns Chen Hao not to provoke him again and asks for cigarettes. Chen Hao sends several cases and waives his commission as an apology. The God of Wealth asks for Cola, and Chen Hao sends him some too. Other familiar Immortals greet him warmly.
• To earn Merit Points, Chen Hao asks the Jade Emperor for permission to open a shop in Heaven. The Jade Emperor agrees on the condition that Chen Hao’s goods do not compete with Supreme Lord Lao’s or the God of Wealth’s stores. He demands a 100,000-point deposit; Chen Hao, who has nowhere near that amount, pretends he lent his points to other Immortals. The Jade Emperor allows him to pay later but doubles the fee.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows himself to be calculating and opportunistic: he uses the Stone Statue Ghoul to force Wang’s group into submission, invents a poison threat, and extracts money from them. He also carefully repairs his relationships with powerful Immortals by supplying gifts and apologizing to Supreme Lord Lao.
• Wang Jian shifts from desperate surrender to resentful compliance. He provides Chen Hao with valuable information about Rakshasa’s recruitment, but secretly hopes to retaliate later.
• Supreme Lord Lao remains stern and easily offended, yet his dependence on Chen Hao’s cigarettes makes him receptive to the apology.
• The Jade Emperor acts as both an authority figure and a shrewd businessman, granting Chen Hao’s request while imposing a steep deposit and penalty.
• Chen Hao’s established friendships with Sun Wukong, Erlang Shen, Nezha, Red Boy, and others reaffirm his standing in the group, even as his return is initially overlooked.

Significant themes

• Cunning and leverage: Chen Hao relies on bluffing, bargaining, and strategic relationships as much as force.
• Trust and self-interest: Wang’s group obeys only under pressure, while the Immortals’ exchanges revolve around favors, goods, and profit.
• Ambition and resourcefulness: Faced with an urgent need for Daoist Merit Points, Chen Hao seeks a new business opportunity—even when the Heavenly Court’s fees seem impossible.
• Comic deception: The fake poison, Chen Hao’s transparent excuse about lending his Merit Points, and the Jade Emperor’s blunt profiteering give the chapter a playful, transactional tone.

Plot points and events

• The Jade Emperor agrees to help Chen Hao open a Heavenly Court shop, but requires 200,000 Daoist Merit Points. The application will take five days, and the shop must earn 100,000 points in its first month or lose its eligibility. Chen Hao begins planning what modern-world goods he could sell.
• That night, Chen Hao reunites with CC, who has made his way back after being abandoned at the airport. After CC eats dragon meat, a dragon tendon merges with Chen Hao’s Dragon Claw Immortal Artifact. The artifact upgrades into the Divine Dragon Arm, and Chen Hao gains the Divine Dragon Tail Whip technique.
• The next morning, Chen Hao joins Wang Jian and his men on a journey to Rakshasa’s initiation ceremony at Windmoon Mountain. The ceremony is hosted by Rakshasa’s Ghost Gate, one of the organization’s four powerful divisions.
• The group passes a checkpoint only after Wang Jian persuades a guard by mentioning Lord Xu. At the temple complex, the beautiful scenery seems idyllic—but Chen Hao senses danger and stops Wang Jian’s group from moving forward, warning that they are all at risk of dying.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao accepts the costly shop arrangement despite his misgivings, then gains a major new weapon upgrade through the unexpected absorption of the dragon tendon. His confidence and growing abilities are underscored by his suspicion of the seemingly peaceful temple grounds.
• CC returns to Chen Hao, joking and complaining about being abandoned, while claiming a special bond helped him find Chen Hao. His appetite inadvertently triggers Chen Hao’s upgrade, though he immediately demands thanks.
• Wang Jian remains cautious and deferential around Rakshasa’s personnel. He negotiates access for the group but is caught off guard by Chen Hao’s warning at the end.
• Chen Hao and CC’s reunion is playful and affectionate, while Chen Hao’s interactions with Wang Jian show him taking the lead when he detects danger.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: Chen Hao’s new abilities arrive just as he prepares for a dangerous gathering.
• Cost and bureaucracy: The Heavenly Court’s shop approval requires substantial payment, lengthy procedures, and strict performance targets.
• Appearances can deceive: The temple’s paradise-like landscape may conceal a lethal threat, which Chen Hao recognizes before the others do.
• Loyalty and connection: CC’s return highlights his attachment to Chen Hao, despite their comic bickering.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao leads Wang Jian and the others into a powerful spirit array at Rakshasa’s entrance. He explains that the apparent paradise is an illusion and that those who entered earlier have vanished.
• The array preys on people’s weaknesses. Two of Wang Jian’s men follow visions of a seductive woman and money into the bushes and disappear. Chen Hao warns the group not to trust what they see or hear.
• Wang Jian wants to turn back for his missing men, but Chen Hao grabs him and angrily warns that doing so could endanger everyone. Wang Jian reluctantly continues.
• The array also lures Chen Hao with a familiar voice. CC interrupts him, but is distracted by an illusory female dog and rushes into the bushes.
• Inside the illusion, Chen Hao finds himself in a scene from his past with Xiang Wencun. He embraces and kisses her, but she turns into a demon and tries to stab him.
• A Diamond Talisman protects Chen Hao. He realizes the array can read minds, destroys the demon with a Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist, and breaks the illusion.
• Back on the trail, Chen Hao finds the others gone and continues alone, wondering why the array chose Xiang Wencun to exploit.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Hao demonstrates unusual perception and confidence, recognizing the array’s tricks and resisting them—though even he is briefly drawn in by memories of Xiang Wencun. He is blunt with Wang Jian, prioritizing the group’s survival over a rescue attempt.
• Wang Jian shifts from confusion to alarm when his men vanish. His loyalty makes him want to go back, but he accepts the group’s advice and presses on.
• CC briefly helps bring Chen Hao back to his senses, then falls victim to the array’s own canine temptation.
• Wang Jian’s men are vulnerable to the array’s personal lures; their disappearances increase the group’s fear and uncertainty.

Significant themes

• Perception versus reality: The array makes convincing illusions that can separate or kill those who mistake them for truth.
• Human weakness and temptation: It targets desire, greed, curiosity, and grief rather than relying on brute force.
• Survival versus loyalty: Wang Jian must choose between searching for his missing men and protecting those still with him.
• Hidden emotional attachment: Chen Hao’s vision of Xiang Wencun raises the possibility that his feelings for her run deeper than he understands.

Key plot points and events

• After escaping the first illusion array, Chen Hao and CC joke about the visions they encountered. CC shamelessly claims it had an encounter with a female dog in its own illusion.
• On a temple platform, Rakshasa leaders Gui Jianchou and Hua Qiang discuss the trials. The second test is the grade-four Stone Soldier Formation, and their organization plans to pursue an alliance with Ancient Dragon.
• Chen Hao and CC enter a plaza of artificial rocks. The rocks awaken and transform into headless stone soldiers.
• CC reveals a powerful dragonlike transformation—golden scales, horns, claws, and a formidable aura—then rapidly smashes more than a dozen stone soldiers.
• CC abandons the fight to chase a stone female dog. The soldiers turn on Chen Hao, who chases after CC while being pursued by the entire formation. Their antics leave the watching elders exasperated.

Character developments

• Chen Hao shows caution when he senses danger, but his usual irreverent temper returns when CC behaves absurdly.
• CC demonstrates that it is an evolving Spirit Beast with considerable combat power, apparently enhanced by dragon-related food. Its strength is undercut by its uncontrollable attraction to female dogs.
• Gui Jianchou becomes intensely interested in CC. He reveals that Rakshasa lacks Spirit Beasts and wants one from Ancient Dragon, then decides he intends to claim CC without investigating Chen Hao’s background.
• Hua Qiang defers to Gui Jianchou and offers to bring Chen Hao and CC to him after the trial.

Significant themes

• Power and temptation: CC’s formidable strength is repeatedly undermined by its impulses.
• Ambition and possession: Gui Jianchou’s interest in CC shifts quickly from curiosity to a desire to take it for Rakshasa.
• Comedy amid danger: The deadly trial becomes farcical as Chen Hao tries to control CC while the stone soldiers pursue them.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao and CC trade teasing insults, then argue when CC abandons him in the middle of the battle.
• Gui Jianchou and Hua Qiang discuss the trial and Rakshasa’s alliance plans; Hua Qiang recognizes Gui Jianchou’s intentions and agrees to act on them.
• The elders watch CC’s transformation with astonishment, then react with exasperation as the fight devolves into a chaotic chase.

Key plot points

• After more than an hour of Chen Hao and CC being chased through Rakshasa’s Spirit Array, Elder Gui orders Hua Qiang to end it. The array vanishes, ending the pursuit.
• Chen Hao recognizes that Gui Jianchou, the Ghost Gate’s master, is far more powerful than Hua Qiang. He hides his identity under the alias Hao Chen and pretends to be arrogant and greedy.
• Gui and Hua Qiang offer him money to join Rakshasa. Chen Hao demands an immediate transfer; to secure his loyalty, Hua Qiang gives him a pill that he claims will punish betrayal. Chen Hao swallows it and receives 100 million.
• The men escort Chen Hao into the hidden Ghost Gate headquarters behind a Buddhist-looking temple, where they question him about his masked face and his dog.
• Gui reveals that he knows CC is a spirit beast and asks to buy him. Chen Hao pretends to consider the deal, then demands 500 million, a sixth-grade-or-higher cultivation technique, and the Ghost Gate’s strongest Spirit Array. Hua Qiang calls it extortion; Chen Hao leaves Gui to decide.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao stays wary and strategic despite acting brazenly. He conceals his identity, gauges the leaders’ strength, accepts their pill and money without revealing his intentions, and turns their interest in CC into leverage.
• Gui Jianchou is eager to recruit Chen Hao and acquire CC. He assumes the pill gives him control over Chen Hao, making him unusually confident about negotiating.
• Hua Qiang helps manage the recruitment and payment, but loses his temper when Chen Hao’s demands escalate.
• CC remains comic and irreverent, joking about the stone female dog and later protesting the idea of being sold. He plays along with Chen Hao’s act of reluctance.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Chen Hao’s fake greed masks his suspicion, while Gui and Hua Qiang hide their intention to control him.
• Power and leverage: Both sides believe they have the upper hand—Gui through the pill, Chen Hao through the price he sets for CC.
• Greed and exploitation: The recruitment offer and the proposed sale turn loyalty and companionship into transactions, which Chen Hao exploits for his own advantage.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao demands a steep price for CC: 500 million, a grade-six-or-higher cultivation method, and the Ghost Gate’s strongest spirit array. He secretly cues CC to transform into a dazzling, qilin-like divine beast.
• Impressed by CC’s rarity, Gui Jianchou accepts the deal, despite Hua Qiang’s objections. The payment is due in three days; Gui Jianchou also agrees to provide the cultivation method and array.
• A group of initiation candidates confronts the Ghost Gate, demanding to know what happened to companions who vanished during the spirit-array trial. Gui Jianchou claims the array eliminated the unqualified.
• When one candidate openly challenges him, Gui Jianchou kills him brutally with ghostly energy, terrifying the crowd. He then forces the survivors to swallow pills as a sign of loyalty and has them taken away.
• Chen Hao notices Wang Jian among the surviving candidates. When Wang Jian clashes with a Ghost Gate disciple, the disciple gathers a group to beat him. Chen Hao steps in, insults the ringleader, and appears ready to defend Wang Jian.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao uses CC’s transformation as leverage, confidently secures valuable rewards, and shows a willingness to protect Wang Jian despite their limited rapport.
• CC obediently displays his evolved form, though Gui Jianchou’s greedy attention leaves him uneasy.
• Gui Jianchou shifts from negotiation partner to openly ruthless enforcer. His casual execution and forced loyalty ritual make Chen Hao wary of his power.
• Hua Qiang objects to the costly deal but submits to Gui Jianchou’s decision and carries out his orders.
• Wang Jian proves defiant and quick to fight back, but is outnumbered and endangered. His conflict prompts Chen Hao to intervene.
• The Ghost Gate disciples and recruits are shown operating under fear: the disciples enforce the sect’s authority, while the recruits keep quiet after witnessing the execution.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: Gui Jianchou secures obedience through overwhelming force and fear.
• Bargaining and self-interest: Chen Hao turns CC’s rarity into a high-value deal, while Gui Jianchou covets the beast.
• Loyalty under duress: The recruits’ pill-taking is compelled, not freely chosen.
• Courage and defiance: Wang Jian resists intimidation, and Chen Hao backs him despite the danger.

Key plot points

• A Ghost Gate disciple attacks Chen Hao for insulting him, but Chen Hao’s Third-Realm Qi Armor repels the blow. He taunts the group until Hua Qiang returns and orders his nephew, Hua Bei, to stand down.
• Chen Hao continues provoking Hua Bei, while Hua Qiang keeps the confrontation from escalating and treats Chen Hao with conspicuous deference.
• After Chen Hao leaves, Hua Qiang tells Hua Bei that Chen Hao is likely to die that night. Gui Jianchou is interested in Chen Hao’s dog, CC, and Hua Qiang intends to use the situation to get rid of him.
• Chen Hao tells Wang Jian that the Rakshasa Initiation Ceremony was really a purge: the other Qi Refiners who entered the Spirit Array were probably killed. He restrains Wang Jian from acting rashly and says they should wait for an opportunity in three days.
• Later, Gui Jianchou and Hua Qiang discuss how to obtain Chen Hao’s knowledge of communicating with spirit beasts. They avoid killing him outright because CC might turn violent, and plan to have someone provoke or test him while preserving a way to deny responsibility.
• Hua Bei arrives at Chen Hao’s room with gifts, pretending to apologize. Chen Hao suspects an ulterior motive and decides to play along.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao displays confidence in his strength and uses mockery to control the confrontation. He also shows caution and sympathy toward Wang Jian, steering him away from a dangerous revenge attempt.
• Wang Jian shifts from admiration of Chen Hao to grief and anger after learning his companions were likely killed. He pledges to follow Chen Hao and help avenge them.
• Hua Bei is aggressive when backed by his uncle, but quickly becomes submissive under Hua Qiang’s orders. His later gift-bearing visit suggests he is acting as part of a scheme.
• Hua Qiang outwardly restrains Hua Bei and stays courteous to Chen Hao, but privately plans to exploit the situation and eliminate him.
• Gui Jianchou reveals a calculated interest in both CC and Chen Hao’s spirit-beast communication technique, preferring a covert approach over an open attack.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and hidden motives: The supposed selection ceremony is revealed as a mass killing, while polite gestures conceal plans to exploit or kill Chen Hao.
• Power and intimidation: Chen Hao’s strength and confidence unsettle the Ghost Gate members, though the apparent balance of power masks a larger conspiracy.
• Loyalty and grief: Wang Jian’s loss turns his pursuit of money into a commitment to avenge his brothers.
• Strategic restraint: Both Chen Hao and Gui Jianchou avoid impulsive action, waiting for a more advantageous moment.

Key plot points and events

• Hua Bei apologizes to Chen Hao with a bear-paw dish, but has secretly drugged it as part of a plan to capture him and learn how he controls his spirit beast.
• Chen Hao realizes the meal is suspicious and pretends the drug has poisoned him. Though the drug is actually a knockout agent, he fakes passing out and lets Hua Bei’s men tie him up and carry him into a remote mountain gully.
• Hua Bei interrogates Chen Hao, claiming the drug has suppressed his spiritual energy. When Hua Bei threatens to stab him, Chen Hao breaks free, injures Hua Bei, and defeats the other disciples with a roar of spiritual energy.
• Chen Hao turns the interrogation around, demanding information about Rakshasa’s leaders and techniques. Hua Bei reveals that the Demon Gate’s master has reached at least the Sixth Realm, possibly the Seventh; Gui Jianchou is at the peak of the Fifth Realm and wields the sixth-grade technique Death God’s Scythe.
• Unable to answer Chen Hao’s question about Gui Jianchou’s strongest spirit array, Hua Bei is killed by Chen Hao, who calls his answer “wrong.”

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains composed and playful under threat. His Celestial Immortal Art makes him immune to the drug, and he uses acting and feigned weakness to learn what his attackers intend. Once Hua Bei threatens him, Chen Hao reveals his strength and takes control.
• Hua Bei shifts from false friendliness to cruelty, then to panic when Chen Hao breaks free. His threats and appeal to his uncle Hua Qiang fail to protect him.
• The Ghost Gate disciples follow Hua Bei’s scheme, but are quickly overwhelmed by Chen Hao.
• Chen Hao’s questioning of Hua Bei becomes a reversal of their power dynamic: the captive interrogates his captor.

Significant themes

• Deception and reversal: Chen Hao’s performance turns Hua Bei’s ambush into an opportunity to gather intelligence.
• Power and overconfidence: Hua Bei assumes the drug and his group can subdue Chen Hao, while Chen Hao’s immunity and greater strength expose that confidence as misplaced.
• Escalating danger: News of a possible Seventh Realm Demon Gate leader forces Chen Hao to reconsider the scale of the threat facing him and Huaxia.

Plot points and events

• After killing Hua Bei, Chen Hao realizes he is lost in unfamiliar mountains. A distant explosion leads him to a group secretly blasting into a rock face.
• The group spots him and confronts him, but the tension eases when Chen Hao identifies himself as an acquaintance of Dong Zhuo and recognizes Master Hu, whom he previously met at the Yun Family mine.
• Ma Big Beard explains that the group is searching for a tomb on Rakshasa’s territory and working at night to avoid Ghost Gate. Their expert, Master Liu, believes it lies behind the rock face.
• Chen Hao uses the Heavenly Eye Art to determine that no tomb is there. Master Liu dismisses him, insisting that his own experience and Master Hu’s judgment support the site.
• Chen Hao leaves, rejecting Master Hu’s attempt to sell him a fortune-telling reading. Shortly afterward, he detects a huge tomb beneath a mountain stream. Its murals and inscriptions astonish him, so he rushes back to the group.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains perceptive, confident, and blunt. He recognizes Ma Big Beard and Master Hu, offers the group a warning despite their risky work, and later becomes intensely excited by what he discovers in the tomb.
• Ma Big Beard is initially wary but quickly warms to Chen Hao through their shared connection to Dong Zhuo. He is friendly, though preoccupied with the excavation.
• Master Hu recognizes Chen Hao and jokes with him, but his credibility as a feng shui expert appears doubtful. He also tries to exploit the reunion by offering fortune-telling.
• Master Liu is proud of his expertise and reacts defensively to Chen Hao’s correction, refusing to reconsider his chosen excavation spot.
• The group’s armed, suspicious welcome turns cordial once Chen Hao proves he is not affiliated with their enemy, Rakshasa.

Significant themes

• Knowledge versus arrogance: Chen Hao’s extraordinary perception contradicts Master Liu’s confident but mistaken judgment.
• Trust and reputation: Shared acquaintances help turn a potentially hostile encounter into a friendly one.
• Discovery and mystery: The real tomb, hidden beneath the stream, promises a major revelation through its unusually well-preserved murals and inscriptions.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao returns to Ma Big Beard’s team and reveals that he knows they are searching for Princess Fengyue’s tomb. He claims he found its location himself and leads them to a spot beside a stream.
• Master Liu mocks Chen Hao’s choice and challenges him to prove it. Ma Big Beard orders a test excavation, which uncovers the tomb entrance about three meters down. Master Liu loses the wager and must stop arguing.
• Chen Hao explains that he wants the team’s help because his Heavenly Eye Art showed him glimpses of murals and inscriptions inside the tomb, including clues related to Underworld Fire, but he needs to examine them in person.
• Ma Big Beard recounts the legend of Princess Fengyue: her Tang-dynasty kingdom supposedly vanished overnight, though stories disagree about whether monsters or the princess herself caused the catastrophe. He says the expedition was commissioned by someone but keeps the client’s identity secret.
• The team opens the entrance and descends into a stone passage. Master Liu recognizes the masonry as Tang-dynasty work. At the passage’s end, they find a massive stone door fitted with a Nine-Turn Soul-Burning Lock, a complex mechanism said to unleash deadly ghostly fire if opened incorrectly.
• Chen Hao uses his Heavenly Eye Art to inspect the door and sees that flames remain inside its mechanism even after more than a thousand years.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao demonstrates confidence and unusual ability by locating the tomb quickly. He is driven not just by the discovery but by his interest in the Underworld Fire clues inside.
• Ma Big Beard respects Chen Hao after the successful discovery and allows him to join the expedition, while remaining discreet about who hired the team.
• Master Liu shifts from openly dismissive to grudging silence after Chen Hao proves right. Once underground, his expertise and enthusiasm for ancient tombs become apparent.
• Master Hu stays behind rather than risk entering the tomb, confirming Ma Big Beard’s view that he is more talk than courage.
• Ma Big Beard organizes the descent, assigning guards and support roles before leading the group inside.

Significant themes

• Knowledge versus arrogance: Chen Hao’s unusual insight outperforms the team’s months of conventional searching, while Master Liu’s skepticism is humbled by evidence.
• Ancient ingenuity and danger: The Tang-era passage and still-burning trap highlight the sophistication—and potential peril—of the tomb’s construction.
• Mystery and unreliable history: Conflicting accounts of Princess Fengyue’s kingdom and the undisclosed patron leave the expedition’s true purpose uncertain.

• The team reaches a massive stone door sealed by a Nine-Turn Soul-Burning Lock. Master Liu explains that its nine mechanisms correspond to the Four Symbols and Five Elements, and warns that mishandling it could trigger a fire that destroys the tomb—or kills everyone.
• The lock becomes a point of conflict. Master Liu cannot decipher its markings and says the team would need outside experts, which could make them miss their client’s deadline. Chen Hao volunteers to open it, claiming at least a 90% chance of success despite admitting he cannot read the writing. Master Liu mocks and opposes him, but Ma Big Beard chooses to stay with Chen Hao while the others leave.
• Chen Hao opens the lock using his Heavenly Eye Art, which lets him see the mechanisms directly. He turns the rings in sequence, and the lock releases without incident. The heavy stone door opens, revealing a vast burial chamber.
• The tomb’s contents impress the team: a central stone coffin, numerous burial goods, and lifelike murals covering the walls. Master Liu and the others examine the coffin, while Chen Hao ignores the valuables and begins studying the murals.
  Character developments and interactions: Chen Hao remains confident and impatient with Master Liu’s caution and showmanship, but proves his ability through action. Master Liu’s confidence falters when his expertise fails, and he tries to discourage Chen Hao by emphasizing the danger. Ma Big Beard shifts from concern to trust, revealing that he recognizes Chen Hao as a fellow Qi Refiner and choosing to remain beside him. The rest of the group initially follows Master Liu out, then rushes back when the lock clicks open.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts book learning with practical ability, highlights the value of trust and courage under pressure, and builds suspense around the risks of exploring an ancient tomb.